Carmelo Anthony is slowing down the deal to the Nets (according to sources)

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Carmelo Anthony is slowing down the deal to the Nets (according to sources)

In the end, the biggest holdup in a trade that would send Carmelo Anthony to New Jersey may be Anthony himself.

According to several league sources, Anthony has not told anyone, not even his representatives, that he will sign a contract extension with the Nets.

One source who has spoken with Anthony since trade talks between Denver, New Jersey and Detroit became public last weekend said the Nuggets forward has never even hinted at signing with New Jersey.

"He has not agreed to go to New Jersey," said the source, who speaks regularly with Anthony. "I have never heard him, in all the times we've talked, say he's willing to go to New Jersey. Not once. Personally, I would be stunned if he went there and signed an extension."

This, of course, does not mean there's no chance of Anthony signing with the Nets. But it does mean the three teams involved in the potential deal that could involve as many as 15 players are working on nothing more than a hunch. For even if they do reach an agreement, Anthony's refusal to sign a three-year, $65 million extension with the Nets would kill the deal completely. New Jersey has been steadfast in its commitment to trade for Anthony only if he agrees to stay with the franchise long term.

Even if Anthony is less than enthusiastic about the prospects of playing in New Jersey, he has never crossed the Nets entirely off his list of potential destinations, as he did with Philadelphia, Washington and Charlotte when those teams showed interest in trading for him earlier in the season.

The Nets, who have pursued Anthony since failing to land a superstar on last summer's historic free agent market, firmly believe Anthony is agreeable to signing with them. That belief is based on numerous conversations with Anthony's agent, Leon Rose, who has worked closely with Denver and New Jersey all season long on putting together potential trade packages.

ESPN.com reported last month that the Nets have already been granted permission to meet with Anthony face-to-face if a trade agreement is eventually struck with Denver. That would allow Nets billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov and part-owner Jay-Z to lead a contingent that would try to lobby the Brooklyn-born Anthony directly on the team's future in Brooklyn, with the Nets planning to move there in time for the 2012-13 season.

That pitch might also include the Nets' plan to sign all-star point guard Chris Paul, another Rose client, as a free agent in the summer of 2012. But with the amount of payroll the Nets may take on in acquiring Anthony and whatever players come with him, as well as eventually signing Brook Lopez to an extension, it's doubtful New Jersey will have enough cap room to sign Paul. This problem would be compounded if the owners are able to make the changes they are seeking to the collective bargaining agreement.

The proposed deal involving Denver, New Jersey and Detroit would give the Nets Chauncey Billups and the Pistons' Rip Hamilton along with Anthony. Denver would receive two future first-round picks, Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, Anthony Morrow, Quinton Ross, Ben Uzoh and Stephen Graham, while Detroit would bring home Troy Murphy, Johan Petro and a second-round pick from the Nets.

The natural assumption is that Rose is pushing for a deal with New Jersey because Anthony is amenable to it. But sources say that's not the case.

"He [Rose] may want him to go there," one source said. "But Melo doesn't want to be in Jersey. He wants to play in New York."

Anthony's desire to play for the New York Knicks is well-known. But Denver would rather trade him to New Jersey because it can receive more assets -- a young prospect (Favors), expiring contracts and first-round draft picks -- from the Nets than it can from New York. If Anthony were to agree to a trade to New Jersey, it would be mainly to get the $65 million contract extension. With the owners playing hardball as a new labor agreement approaches, Anthony may have to settle for tens of millions of dollars less if he were to play out the season in Denver and sign with New York as a free agent this summer. The sources say such a scenario is not out of the question for Anthony.

While the Knicks, who do not have a first-round draft pick to offer Denver in a trade, lack the assets the Nuggets covet, Anthony's desire to play there keeps them in the hunt. Anthony will soon sit down with Nuggets executives Josh Kroenke and Masai Ujiri to discuss his future, and if he tells them he will only sign an extension with New York and not New Jersey, Denver will almost certainly have to begin serious trade talks with the Knicks.

To date, the Nuggets have not engaged in any thorough trade discussions with New York. But the Knicks insist there are several teams that will give them a first-round draft pick in exchange for Anthony Randolph that they could use in a trade, and the strong play of Knicks forward Wilson Chandler this season would seem to have increased his value in the Nuggets' eyes.

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It's insane to me how some folks on here can't see what's going on. If Melo is holding out for the Knicks and everyone knows it, that's the last place Denver would be willing to trade him. We already saw LBJ wrestle a little more control away from owners this past summer...the Nuggs can't give into whatever Melo is saying and make it look like the inmates run the penitentiary. They're gonna go thru the "we're looking for the best possible deal" charade as long as they can until they're forced to deal with the Knicks and say "well it's because it was the best option at the time, not because Melo wants to go there."

It's the same "trade is imminent, trade is 48 hours away, trade is close, trade is iffy, what trade? oh that trade, yea he's not going anywhere yet" cycle that we've already seen.

Oh, and there's this too.

After hearing Carmelo Anthony(notes) express public doubts over the New York Knicks’ desire and need for him, Amar’e Stoudemire(notes) reached out to tell the Denver Nuggets star that he “wants him in New York,” a league source told Yahoo! Sports on Tuesday.

The Knicks’ forward recently contacted Anthony via text message with a two-fold agenda: Make sure Anthony knows that Stoudemire himself wants Anthony at his side, and push Anthony to resist a proposed trade to the New Jersey Nets. Stoudemire is sensitive to public suggestions that he would prefer to play without a Madison Square Garden co-star and has repeatedly expressed that to Anthony.

As momentum ground to a crawl for a three-team deal with the Nuggets, Nets and Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, the Knicks kept hope they could overcome several hurdles to make a deal for Anthony. And none remains bigger than the fact the Nuggets prefer the Nets’ package of players and draft picks over New York’s assets.

Anthony has delivered mixed messages on his desire to sign a contract extension with the Nuggets. He’s told two teammates he would ultimately be fine joining the Nets, and pushed his agent, Leon Rose, to help construct a package of players to go to the Nets with him. Nevertheless, Anthony has been wildly back and forth on his willingness to compromise with the Nets over the Knicks.

Denver general manager Masai Ujiri has twice moved to the cusp of a trade only to back away and press a reset button. It happened once in September in a four-team trade and again on Sunday night. Several rival team executives rolled their eyes over the Nuggets’ tantrum directed at the Nets on Monday, mocking Denver for its threat to punish New Jersey for perceived leaks by trading Anthony to rival New York.

“Just for the sake of sanity, what would Denver do if Jersey told them, ‘OK, go ahead and trade him to New York?’ ” one Eastern Conference front-office official said.

With so many moving parts, and so many people involved, that’s a difficult proposition in this digital age. What’s more, Ujiri has been making calls to Eastern and Western Conference teams trying to find a team to take New Jersey point guard Devin Harris(notes), league sources said. Harris is still a player the Nuggets don’t control, and yet he’s shopping him around the league. Those calls contribute to details escaping, but then Ujiri has never made a trade in the NBA and he’s been thrust into one of the most volatile in the league’s recent history.

Anthony is at the center of one more public brawl between the Nets and Knicks. New Jersey’s corporate public-relations flak sent out a photo update on the construction of the Nets’ new Brooklyn Arena with a declaration that it will be opening in the 2012-13 season. All along, Brooklyn has been the selling point for Anthony. He was born in Brooklyn and raised in Baltimore.

“They’ve sold him on being the ‘guy’ moving into Brooklyn, having the whole thing built and marketed around him,” one league official said. “That appeals to him, but the Garden is still the Garden. It’s New York.”

For the Nets, they have a better case to be made selling a grainy construction photo than the young 7-footer that they promised Anthony, 26, would be a pillar beside him for the next decade. The regression of Brook Lopez(notes) hasn’t gone unnoticed with Anthony. Lopez had been pitched to Anthony as a future 20-point, 10-rebound All-Star center. Only now, he’s averaging 18 points and 5.9 rebounds. One former Nets coach believes Lopez suffered with the loss of Vince Carter(notes) and would greatly benefit playing next to Anthony. “He needs someone to take the pressure off him offensively,” the coach said. “He’s not ready to handle all that defensive attention.”

Lopez’s rebounding has always been an issue, but this season’s drop has perplexed the Nets. Perhaps no player has struggled more with the trade cloud this season, but as one official said, “He’s the one guy who never has never been in the talks and never will.”

For now, the Nets stay in the discussions for Anthony, but the Knicks are still lurking in the distance. Amar’e Stoudemire sent one more message to the Nuggets star, and it was simple: Let’s do this, ’Melo.

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This is just for anyone who couldn't read into STAT's politically-correct drenched statements about not wanting another star in NYC when he was asked about it.

'Melo losses millions if he risks going into free agency this Summer or 'Melo ends up playing in Newark until 2015?

Last I checked, the Nyets played in NJ. Selling the idea that sometime in the near future they intend to move to an outer borough? And... if he is playing in Brooklyn come 2013, he might be playing alongside Chris Paul?

1) Even Avery Johnson is calling out B-Lopez every day about his lack of toughness. Fields averages more rebounds than BL.

2) Why would NO just let Paul leave for nothing? Sure, the NBA owns them.... BUt if DEN prevents Melo from going to his desired choice (NYK), then perchance NO will orchestrate a similar scenario this time enxt year? Maybe send Paul to Clippers or Lakers?

3) NJ might not even have cap space to sign Paul even if he reaches free agency.

4) Nets play in Newark. What ifs and buts.... Last I checked, nothing set in stone declaring Nyets be playing in Brooklyn come 2012.

5)Lopez-Paul-Melo and what else?

People seem to overlook the obvious: They are a plethora of concerns and uncertainties circulating and hoovering around the NJ Nyets.

Now take the Knicks. What's the lone concern? MONEY.

Who is rich, spoiled, and willing to skirt regulations? DOLAN. Wanna bet he sent back channel assurances to Melo that he'll get his money one way or another?

Knicks are LIGHT YEARS ahead of NJ in talent. They have a legit star in Amar'e. They don't need to wait 2 years for a PG. They have role players.0

AND, if Melo just refuses to sign an extension, he could simply sign on with the Knicks and NY losses NOTHING off their roster, and will be title contenders NEXT SEASON. With BOS-LA a year older, it's basically an arms race with MIA, right?

Realistically, a sign and trade will be worked out. ALA what MIA did for BOSH. Knicks trade Randolph for a 1st. They'll trade that pick, along with one of theirs... toss in a Gallo or Chandler or Fields. Das it.

THEN, Knicks will get a big and a backup PG to fill out the roster. Who wouldn;t want to sign on to play with the Knicks then?

Again, Melo holds all the power. Sure, DENVER can rent Melo out and get less, and maybe that less is more attractive than what the Knicks offer. But, again, Melo controls his fate.

The disgusting thing is not that a star player wants to dictate where he wants to go, it's that an agent (who is supposed to represent his client's best interest) is trying to steer said client to a destination that benefits the agent. If Melo allows this, then he is not his own man. HIs agent just wants to get paid.... paid now in case there's a lockout. Melo just sit tight.

Good posts. We'll see.. it's hard for me to believe though that Melo would let Rose just go through the motions w NJ and Denver. Rose and Melo had to have been in communication throughout that whole deal making process.

I'd like for him to refuse to sign that extension tho.. It would take gutz, big brass ones for him to step away. It's gonna be interesting to see what his biggest motivation is.

It's financial security versus being on the team he loves and in his heart wants to play for.

Good posts. We'll see.. it's hard for me to believe though that Melo would let Rose just go through the motions w NJ and Denver. Rose and Melo had to have been in communication throughout that whole deal making process.

I'd like for him to refuse to sign that extension tho.. It would take gutz, big brass ones for him to step away. It's gonna be interesting to see what his biggest motivation is.

It's financial security versus being on the team he loves and in his heart wants to play for.

This is what logic would suggest. THEY NEVER turn down the money. Lebron take a few mil less ONLY b/c CLE has a state tax and FLA doesn't, so they net income is relatively the same regardless.

ALSO, the holdup could easily be explained by the fact that DEN wants the best pick as possible, and the later they send Melo to NJ the more Ls pile up.

Still, there are inside sources saying he wont sign extension. We've all be led to believe that NY is his desired place. Of course, reports refute this claim and boast that he will ultimately sign and of course his agent is pushing ahead.

BUT MAYBE his agent is saying.... GOOD PR... to let Denver go ahead and get best deal possible. Wont hurt to have trade completed and then sit down with Nyets to hear what they're offering. Heck, maybe he just wants to meet with Jay-Z.

BUt, again.... this boils down to a lot more than just winning in a place he wants to be to taking the money.

FAR too many questions with the Nyets. This is Melo's prime. He has money. He'll get money. He could sign one year deal with Knicks, then they could resign him to a large contract. The only issue with NY is getting his extra 15-20 mil, or when he'll get paid if there's a lockout.

BUt Melo doesn't want to play another 7 seasons in NJ like he did in DEN. On a team that's good enough to make the playoffs some years, and then get ousted in round 1 or 2.

If he comes to NY, they compete for title next year.

I think it could be asily said that Melo and the new GM worked this out already. Help with the PR, make us tlook good, then be the villain and say NO to trade we make. Then we'll send you to the Knicks.

'Melo losses millions if he risks going into free agency this Summer or 'Melo ends up playing in Newark until 2015?

Last I checked, the Nyets played in NJ. Selling the idea that sometime in the near future they intend to move to an outer borough? And... if he is playing in Brooklyn come 2013, he might be playing alongside Chris Paul?

1) Even Avery Johnson is calling out B-Lopez every day about his lack of toughness. Fields averages more rebounds than BL.

2) Why would NO just let Paul leave for nothing? Sure, the NBA owns them.... BUt if DEN prevents Melo from going to his desired choice (NYK), then perchance NO will orchestrate a similar scenario this time enxt year? Maybe send Paul to Clippers or Lakers?

3) NJ might not even have cap space to sign Paul even if he reaches free agency.

4) Nets play in Newark. What ifs and buts.... Last I checked, nothing set in stone declaring Nyets be playing in Brooklyn come 2012.

5)Lopez-Paul-Melo and what else?

People seem to overlook the obvious: They are a plethora of concerns and uncertainties circulating and hoovering around the NJ Nyets.

Now take the Knicks. What's the lone concern? MONEY.

Who is rich, spoiled, and willing to skirt regulations? DOLAN. Wanna bet he sent back channel assurances to Melo that he'll get his money one way or another?

Knicks are LIGHT YEARS ahead of NJ in talent. They have a legit star in Amar'e. They don't need to wait 2 years for a PG. They have role players.0

AND, if Melo just refuses to sign an extension, he could simply sign on with the Knicks and NY losses NOTHING off their roster, and will be title contenders NEXT SEASON. With BOS-LA a year older, it's basically an arms race with MIA, right?

Realistically, a sign and trade will be worked out. ALA what MIA did for BOSH. Knicks trade Randolph for a 1st. They'll trade that pick, along with one of theirs... toss in a Gallo or Chandler or Fields. Das it.

THEN, Knicks will get a big and a backup PG to fill out the roster. Who wouldn;t want to sign on to play with the Knicks then?

Again, Melo holds all the power. Sure, DENVER can rent Melo out and get less, and maybe that less is more attractive than what the Knicks offer. But, again, Melo controls his fate.

The disgusting thing is not that a star player wants to dictate where he wants to go, it's that an agent (who is supposed to represent his client's best interest) is trying to steer said client to a destination that benefits the agent. If Melo allows this, then he is not his own man. HIs agent just wants to get paid.... paid now in case there's a lockout. Melo just sit tight.

Like Ron said Melo has to be talking to his agent. I cannot believe Leon and World Wide Wes would go through all this trouble if Melo flat out said no.

Right there is something else besides financial security on the table.

Power.

The current CBA makes this a players run league. The previous CBA was owner driven. The next CBA is most likely going to pull the reigns on players to try and balance things out. We may never see things like what LBJ did or even what Melo is doing now.

Melo is taking advantage of this for publicity.

Think of it this way:

Let's say Melo has it in his mind that NYK is the only destination no matter what. Agent and GM from Nuggest suggest trading with the Nets. Melo could see this as an advantage to get more press and media attention and ok's some trade senarios. He strings them along, only to axe it in the end. But he got a ton of attention because of it. It increases his brand and to the average NBA fan they do not care nor pay attention to the details of this whole thing. All they hear is MELO MELO MELO.

This is similar to what LBJ did, he just isn't being an open @$$ about it. That was LBJ's mistake and now he has become villainized.

Right now, Melo has the power to accomplish all of this. He is taking advantage of it because I'm sure in the next CBA the ability to pull these stunts go out the window.

ALSO, the holdup could easily be explained by the fact that DEN wants the best pick as possible, and the later they send Melo to NJ the more Ls pile up.

They are currently 7th in what is still a tightly contested WC. No one enjoys a fall from grace. To a degree, you've gotta feel for Denver. Billups as well with that non guaranteed contract and impending lockout.

Having said that, I'm true orange and blue. So **** 'em!

I'm still adamant that we would be able to procure Melo for considerably very little. His is a pocket ace situation for NY.

After hearing [Only registered and activated users can see links. ][Only registered and activated users can see links. ] express public doubts over the [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]’ desire and need for him, [Only registered and activated users can see links. ][Only registered and activated users can see links. ] reached out to tell the [Only registered and activated users can see links. ] star that he “wants him in New York,” a league source told Yahoo! Sports on Tuesday.

The Knicks’ forward recently contacted Anthony via text message with a two-fold agenda: Make sure Anthony knows that Stoudemire himself wants Anthony at his side, and push Anthony to resist a proposed trade to the [Only registered and activated users can see links. ]. Stoudemire is sensitive to public suggestions that he would prefer to play without a Madison Square Garden co-star and has repeatedly expressed that to Anthony.

Melo needs to fire his agent. The only thing his agent cares about is getting the most money possible so that they can get a bigger cut of it. Thats the only reason they've been pushing so hard for the Nets.